Encounter with Spurgeon RP

In his introductory essay to this selection from the writing and preaching of C.H. Spurgeon, Helmut Thielicke - himself among the best preachers of the twentieth century - expresses his surprise and delight at his discovery of the great Victorian preacher. He draws out those qualities which made Spurgeon one of the most influential ministers of his day, and explains what it was that attracted him to the self-educated Baptist preacher. They share a recognition of the urgency of their message: 'We stand in need of the simple way in which Spurgeon dares to say that what really and ultimately counts is to save sinners.' Warmth, immediacy and directness are Spurgeon's hallmarks; qualities which Thielicke's own remarkable sermons share but which he felt much preaching of his day lacked. It is still a convincing testament to Spurgeon's continuing vitality and relevance that Thielicke, one of the greatest modern preachers, should say, 'Sell all that you have . . . and buy Spurgeon.'

Table of Contents:
Translator's Preface Encounter with Spurgeon by Helmut Thielicke Selections from "Lectures to My Students" and Two Sermons by Charles Haddon Spurgeon 1. On Conversion as Our Aim 2. The Holy Spirit in Connection with Our Ministry 3. Earnestness: Its Marring and Maintenance 4. The Necessity of Ministerial Progress 5. The Need of Decision for the Truth 6. On Spiritualizing 7. The Preacher's Private Prayer 8. Our Public Prayer 9. On the Voice 10. Posture, Action, Gesture, Etc. 11. Open-Air Preaching 12. The Faculty of Impromptu Speech 13. Sermons: Their Matter 14. To Workers with Slender Apparatus 15. The Blind Eye and the Deaf Ear 16. The Minister's Fainting Fits 17. The Minister's Ordinary Conversation 18. Attention! Mark of Faith (Sermon) The Chaff Driven Away (Sermon)

About the Author :
Helmut Thielicke first came to prominence as a German Lutheran minister during the last days of the Second World War in Stuttgart. In the face of bombing raids and Nazi opposition, Thielicke carried on preaching to a congregation of thousands. After the war was over, he joined the faculty of the University of Tübingen as Rector and Professor of Systematic Theology, later becoming the Rector of the University of Hamburg. During this time, he also became a world traveller, lecturing and preaching in the United States, South Africa, Australia and Latin America. He died in Hamburg in 1986.

Review :
";A reading of these lectures will humble the most accomplished preacher." English Churchman "I am inclined to think that Encounter with Spurgeon ... is one of the most significant books of the century." Life of Faith